Church and social problems
(Brussels) Nine years have passed since the publication of the “European Pact for Mental Health and Well-Being” launched by the European Commission in 2008 in the awareness that EU policies can influence public spending on healthcare in Member States, an area that does not fall directly within the competence of the EU. The European landscape is characterized by a “serious lack of initiatives” when it comes to addressing the need for mental health services, and this affects all generations, as reported in the recently released paper on “Mental Health in Europe and Christian Ethics” compiled by the Working Group on Ethics and Research in Medicine of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE). The focus is on the problem of high suicide rates in Europe and on the responses to avoid this outcome in depressive illness. The main argument is that “authentic Christian belief and practice” can be a “resource that can help people cope with negative life events including episodes of ill health”. The 35-page document expounds the “Christian ethical thought and Catholic social teaching” guiding the “reflection on mental health”. Four topics are investigated – the human person; treatment and care of the whole person; allocation of resources to mental health; and autonomy and treatment decisions – as well as their implications for the European Pact and the prevention of suicide and depression. The paper is available in English and French at www.comece.eu.
